My new 82 key "fire" keyboard arrived this afternoon, so I thought I'd post some first impressions. First off, just wow...the quality of this keyboard is amazing!!! I think I'd better make sure I love it because I can see that I'll have no excuses to purchase another keyboard in THIS lifetime!

The feel of the keys is going to take some getting used to. Right now my wrists are a bit sore but I think that will improve in time as the unused muscles build up. It very much reminds me of the feel and sound of the old IBM terminal keyboards I used 20 years ago. The sound is a pleasant little clickety-clack noise, not loud but definitely not quiet. The stroke will register without completely depressing the key all the way down but it's a hit or miss proposition to type without a full press because sometimes the stroke will register and sometimes it won't. It seems to need about 1/2 the depth of the stroke to register and a full stroke requires a bit more pressure than what I'm used to.

The size of this keyboard is perfect and I have no need for a numeric keypad. I can easily pick it up and hold it in my lap without it being as awkward (Sheesh, you can't say c-u-m-b-e-r-s-o-m-e on here?!?) as a full size keyboard. My biggest gripe is the layout. I'm a fairly fast touch typist and am used to hitting the backspace key with my pinky to clear a typo. I've found myself hitting the home key right next to backspace an annoying number of times. (Is there any way to disable that key????) I don't need any "home" key, but have discovered that at least the "end" key will put me back where I was without having to reach for the mouse.

I definitely don't like the clear plastic casing which allows red light to show through but that's just a matter of taste. Some will find it kewl, I just find it a bit over the top. I wanted the backlighting so I can see the keys in a dimly lit room, not so's my work station looks like something from Star Trek! LOL! Thankfully Deck offeres a black casing to replace the clear/red plastic it comes with. I guess I could take it off and spray paint it black but for $15 I'll get something which doesn't scratch off.

So...that's it for first impressions. It kind of bugs me that most reviews mention the expense of a Deck keyboard...like it costs a fortune???...but when you hold one in your hands and work with it, you'll quickly realize that it's truly worth the cost!

Wow thanks for the great feedback AOB, we really appreciate it and it makes us happy when our customers are happy!

With regards to your red clear casing - you could try painting the inside of the housing with a black or matching red paint. This will prevent the paint from chipping off and light from coming through the plastic but will still leave you with a nice red case on the outside. Just a thought.

Also I fixed the spam filters that did not allow you to post the word 'cumbersome'. If you or anyone else notices any words that are flagged but should not be please email technicalsupport@deckkeyboards.com and I will fix it.

I've found myself hitting the home key right next to backspace an annoying number of times. (Is there any way to disable that key????)

What operating system do you use? If you're using Windows or Linux, remapping keys is straightforward enough. Other people here might be able to help with remapping keys with Mac OSes.

Assuming that you're using Windows XP (I don't have Vista, so I haven't tested anything with it yet, and don't know if this will work), this will change your home button to another backspace button. Create a new text file (with notepad or your favorite text editor), paste the following text into it, and save it as a .reg (not .txt) file. Then right-click on the file and select Merge.

You can remap any key to any other key with this; if you want to move some other things around, just let me know.

Disclaimer: You're messing with the registry, and that can break things, so do so at your own risk. But I've done this countless times, and I've sent files like this to people online before (including on these forums) without any problems, so you should be fine.

Thanks so much pyrthas, I'll give that a try. (After backing up my registry, of course!) I'm using the keyboard on a Dell with XP.

That, plus the black case I just finished installing, will make it truly the perfect keyboard!!! I think it looks sooooo much better without that red frame!

pyrthas wrote:

AOB wrote:

I've found myself hitting the home key right next to backspace an annoying number of times. (Is there any way to disable that key????)

What operating system do you use? If you're using Windows or Linux, remapping keys is straightforward enough. Other people here might be able to help with remapping keys with Mac OSes.

Assuming that you're using Windows XP (I don't have Vista, so I haven't tested anything with it yet, and don't know if this will work), this will change your home button to another backspace button. Create a new text file (with notepad or your favorite text editor), paste the following text into it, and save it as a .reg (not .txt) file. Then right-click on the file and select Merge.

You can remap any key to any other key with this; if you want to move some other things around, just let me know.

Disclaimer: You're messing with the registry, and that can break things, so do so at your own risk. But I've done this countless times, and I've sent files like this to people online before (including on these forums) without any problems, so you should be fine.

A brief thought: if you'd rather make the home key do nothing, instead of being another backspace key (maybe so that you get used to not hitting it? or something like that, I don't know), just replace the "0E" with "00." That is, use this.

Thanks for the tips! I do have one other question about the keyboard. On my old (Dell) keyboard, when the computer was on stand by all I had to do to wake it up was tap the space bar. But with this keyboard I have to tap the power button on the CPU because it won't wake up from any keyboard activity. Why? Is there a way to map any key to wake it up, or for that matter...to put it to sleep? Not a big deal, it's just easier to reach the keyboard than the CPU.